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PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Trump administration hinted at military action against Syria Thursday as the president and top officials considered how to retaliate against President Bashar Assad for this week's chemical weapons attack that killed more than 80 people. Military leaders discussed options with the White House, likely including a missile strike.
President Donald Trump suggested that Assad may have to leave power, and his comments were strongly underscored by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who told reporters "there's no role for him to govern the Syrian people."
The administration has been put to the test this week amid an international outcry over the newly horrifying violence in Syria. Over the past seven years, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the nation's civil war, triggering the worst refugee crisis since World War II.
Trump's tone has grown more grave with the passing days. On Wednesday, he said this week's attack crossed "a lot of lines" — not just the "red line" of chemical weapons use that President Barack Obama once set as an ultimatum for the Assad government.
President Donald Trump suggested that Assad may have to leave power, and his comments were strongly underscored by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who told reporters "there's no role for him to govern the Syrian people."
The administration has been put to the test this week amid an international outcry over the newly horrifying violence in Syria. Over the past seven years, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the nation's civil war, triggering the worst refugee crisis since World War II.
Trump's tone has grown more grave with the passing days. On Wednesday, he said this week's attack crossed "a lot of lines" — not just the "red line" of chemical weapons use that President Barack Obama once set as an ultimatum for the Assad government.
The question is if this "red line" will amount to more than Obama's "red line" - and what that could mean for America and its regional interests.
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